Think before you speak / Deport citizens? Immigrant uniforms? Really?

Members of Congress have been known to forgo common sense at times and say really ridiculous things. Unfortunately for San Diego County, two recent offenders represent this area – Rep. Duncan D. Hunter, R-El Cajon, and Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Carlsbad.

Speaking at a tea party meeting in Ramona on Saturday, Hunter said it would be “so simple to control the southern border” and called the new Arizona anti-illegal immigration law a “fantastic starting point.”

Then a member of the audience asked Hunter if he would “support the deportation of natural-born American citizens that are the children of illegal aliens.” After repeating the question, Hunter responded: “I would have to, yes.” The audience applauded.

Hunter can’t seriously want to deport U.S. citizens for the sins of the parents. Or can he? He called what should happen to the U.S. children of illegal immigrants a “complex issue.”

Actually, it’s not. The 14th Amendment, in conferring U.S. citizenship to all persons born in the United States regardless of their parents’ legal status, clears it up nicely.

Hunter insisted that, in California, “we simply cannot afford what we’re doing right now.” He cited the cost of illegal immigration on education, emergency health care and jails. Hunter didn’t mention the economic benefit to the many California industries that rely on inexpensive illegal immigrant labor.

A few days earlier, Bilbray appeared on MSNBC’s “Hardball with Chris Matthews” to discuss the Arizona law. While Hispanic activists have expressed concern that the law could promote racial and ethnic profiling, Bilbray was confident that would not happen. So Matthews asked the congressman if he could come up with a “non-ethnic” way for police to determine if someone is in the country illegally.

Bilbray responded: “They will look at the kind of dress you wear, there’s different type of attire, there’s different type of – right down to the shoes, right down to the clothes.”

Oh dear. So now there are special illegal immigrant shoes? There is a certain kind of clothes that illegal immigrants wear? Good to know.

Bilbray continued: “But mostly by behavior. It’s mostly behavior, just as the law enforcement people here in Washington, D.C., does it based on certain criminal activity there is behavior things that professionals are trained in across the board and this group shouldn’t be exempt from those observations as much as anybody else.”

And what exactly is behavior common to illegal immigrants? Of course, it’s obvious – working at jobs that many Americans won’t do for wages that many Americans wouldn’t accept. You’re right, congressman. That’s a dead giveaway.

Immigration is a serious issue and it needs to be treated in a serious manner by serious people. Next time, rather than embarrass themselves, their constituents and the institution they serve, Hunter and Bilbray should think before they speak.